Trace-support.



No; 654,328. Patented July 24, I900.

G. SCHENGK.

TRACE SUPPORT.

(Application filed Feb. 1, 1900.

(No Model.

, IIIIIIMIIII/AIIIlW/l;

W1 9 WW 1% k. C w & fi 6 V w a w m w 5' nmw we vconms v'zrcns cu. mo'rauma, WASHINGTON, n. c.

GEORGE SOHENOK, OF LE ROY, KANSAS.

TRACE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 654,328, dated July 24:, 1900.

Application filed February 1, 1900. Serial No. 3,617. (No model.)

and is designed to provide improved means for supporting the free ends of the traces or tugs upon aback-strap when said traces are not connected to a vehicle, so as to prevent them from dangling about the legs of the animal. It is furthermore designedthat the cockeyes may be snapped into engagement with the supporting device without separately operating any of the parts of the latter, and, finally, to guard against accidental displacement of the cockeyes from the support.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trace-support constructed in accordance with the present invention and also showing the application thereof. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the manner of mounting the trace supporting hooks.

Corresponding parts in both figures of the drawings are designated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the frame of the device, having the front and rear loops 2 and 3 for the reception of the back-strap 4 and the crnpperstrap 5, respectively, andthe opposite side loops 6 for the reception of the respective hipstraps 7.

At the front of the frame and immediately in rear of the loop 2 are provided the laterally-alined pairs of upstanding bearing-ears 8. For each pair of ears there is provided a hook 9, having the butt-end of its shankreceived between its pair of ears, and both of the hooks are pivotally mounted upon a single pivot-pin 10, which passes through all of the bearing-ears. The pivoted end of each hook is provided with a socket or recess 11 for the reception of a coiled spring 12, which encircles the pivot-pin, and is provided with the opposite spring-arms 13 and let, which are located upon the same side of the pivotpin. The upper arm 13 bears against the upper wall of the socket or recess 11, and the arm 14 bears downwardly against the frame, so as to hold the free extremity of the bill of the hook in a normally-depressed position.

At the rear end of the frame there is provided a guide-plate 15, which extends transversely across the same and has its upper face inclined inwardly and downwardly, as best indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This guide-plate is designed to support the free ends of the hooks, so that the latter may always be in position to facilitate the engagement of the traces therewith.

In the operation of the device the cockeye 16 of one of the traces is forced edgewise between the extremity of the bill of one of the hooks and the adjacent inclined face of the guide-plate 15, which latter projects beyond the free portion of the hook, so as to form a support for the cockeye, whereby the cockeye maybe conveniently engaged with the hook, as indicated in Fig. 1, without requiring the previous elevation of the hook. Although but one trace has been shown, it will of course be understood that each trace is to be engaged with its respective hook. In view of the fact that each hook is pivoted at a point above the free end of the bill thereof, as plainly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be evident that an outward pull upon said bill will not cause the latter to be elevated, and thus accidental displacement of the cockeye is prevented, and the trace can be removed from the support only by manually operating the trace-supporting hook, Moreover, the free end of the bill is extended and rebent rearwardly toward the pivoted end of the hook, so as to leave as small a space as possible for the engagement of the cockeye, which arrangement prevents the cockeye from becoming accidentally engaged beneath the free end of the bill, and thus forms an additional guard against displacement.

Having described the invention, I .claim 1. A trace-support, comprising a frame, having a guide-plate, which is inclined inwardly and downwardly, and a spring-actuated ho0k,- pivoted to the frame at a point above the plane of the guide-plate, the free extremity of the bill of the hook normally resting upon the inclined guide-plate.

2. A trace-support, comprising a frame, having upstanding bearing-ears located at the forward end thereof, an inwardly and 

